Category: Beef Research School

Where do you go for the latest in beef production information? What drives you to make changes on your operation? The Beef Research School is one of these tools, yes, but most ranchers and feedlot operators draw knowledge from conferences, extension staff, neighbours and online and hard-copy research. See more: Click here for more episodes… Read More

Canada’s beef production system is working at an improved feedback-mechanism to cow-calf producers on carcass quality traits. Why? Because, ultimately, it’s the cow-calf producer making genetic pairings and selections, but it’s the feedlot operators seeing the results and often receiving the feedback on carcass quality. As the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) 2.0 moves into place,… Read More

Following extensive consultation with researchers, producers and industry, the revised Beef Code of Conduct has been rolled out. In it, ranchers and feedlot owners alike will see some changes, some of which are recommended and others that are required moving forward into 2016. A document that’s nearly 70 pages long can seem a little overwhelming,… Read More

If you’ve got livestock, eventually you’ve got deadstock, too. Disposing of that deadstock can be a source of disease transmission or environmental contamination if not done properly, so it’s very important that ranchers and feedlot owners have a plan in place to deal with deadstock. There are several options available, all with pros and cons,… Read More

It’s time to get down, get your hands dirty and take stock of, well, what you feed your stock. As discussed in the last Beef Research School, rangelands serve several purposes beyond just growing grass, and their health is a measure of five key components — species mix, nutrient cycling, site stability, water management and… Read More

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” While this business principle seems to apply more to hard numbers and bushels per acre, it applies just as perfectly to rangeland production. Beyond just grass tonnage or pounds of growth per acre, there are several other outputs of rangeland production that should be assessed, measured… Read More

Just as energy requirements change as a cow moves through pregnancy, calving and lactation, so to do mineral requirements. The same can be said for a growing calf or yearling — the bottom line is, if you’re tweaking a ration based on growth or energy requirements, the mineral type or level may need to change… Read More

Supplementing cattle rations with mineral may seem expensive at first glance, but the cost of an incomplete nutritional package can show up as quickly as one breeding season where fertility rates plummet. The cost of open heifers or cows adds up far faster than the cost of mineral. When deciding on a mineral supplement, amount,… Read More

Establishing the vaccination needs and schedule for your operation is going to depend heavily on your herd’s risk level. Fully closed herds, where not even bulls are bought in, have a lower risk level and different risk profile than a herd that is buying replacement heifers, feeder cattle or mature animals, be they bulls or… Read More

Trichomaniasis and vibriosis are infectious diseases that cause infertility in cattle as a result of embryonic death. Cows will often abort within the first 90 days of pregnancy, making it difficult to detect. One of the few signs of infection is a higher than average number of cows coming back into service in late fall,… Read More

In the last Beef Research School episode, we took a virtual walk through a riparian area to assess its health. Healthy riparian areas, that transitional zone from pasture to waterway, are critical to decreasing riverbank erosion and nutrient migration to waterways. Once you’ve determined the general health of your riparian areas, it’s time to put… Read More

How often do you walk the waterways, riverbanks and marshy areas of your pastures? These transitional areas from pasture to waterway, called riparian zones, are vital to soil and water health and deserve attention now and again to ensure cattle haven’t been too hard on them, or that invasive species or undesired species have moved… Read More

Well-managed pastures can produce good yields for years, but will produce best if fertility of those pastures is planned for the long-term. Big producing pastures require big fertility numbers, though grazing helps to cycle these nutrients back to the soil. Over-grazing, too low or high stocking densities and time all can begin to mine pasture… Read More

Maximizing forage acre production may be an easy concept to work on in the office, but making decisions in the field isn’t always that straightforward. How do you know whether or not a pasture needs some rejuvenation versus renovation? What factors play a role in getting the most out of existing acres, and what are… Read More

Biosecurity is one of those terms that brings to mind people in hazmat suits and areas roped off with red tape and biohazard signs. The simple truth about the term biosecurity is that it consists of a lot of things that producers already do on the farm. Biosecurity is everything producers do to prevent the… Read More